Radio Luminosities and Classificatory Criteria of BL Lacertae Objects

Abstract

Using the sample of radio selected BL Lacertae objects (RBLs) and X-ray selected BL Lacertae objects (XBLs) presented by Sambruna et al. (1996), we calculated the luminosities of radio, optical and X-ray of each source and made the statistical analysis among the luminosities at different wave-bands, broad-band spectral indices from radio to X-ray ($α_{\rm rx}$) and peak frequencies ($ν_p$). Our results are as follows: (i) there is a positive correlation between radio luminosity $L_{\rm r}$ and $α_{\rm rx}$ and a negative correlation between $L_{\rm r}$ and $ν_p$. High-energy peak BL Lacs (HBLs) and low-energy peak BL Lacs (LBLs) can be distinguished very well, the dividing lines are probably those of $\log {L_{\rm r}}=43.25$ (erg/sec) and $α_{\rm rx}>$(or $\leq $)0.75 for $L_{\rm r}$ - $α_{\rm rx}$ plot and those of $\log {L_{\rm r}}\leq 43.25$ (erg/sec) and $\log {ν_p}>14.7$ for the $L_{\rm r}$ - $ν_p$ plot; (ii) there is a weak positive correlation between optical luminosity $L_o$ and $α_{\rm rx}$ and a negatively weak correlation between $L_{\rm o}$ and $ν_p$; (iii) there is no correlation between X-ray luminosity $L_X$ and $α_{\rm rx}$ or between $L_X$ and $ν_p$. From our analysis, we find that synchrotron radiation is the main X-ray radiation mechanism for HBLs while inverse Compton scattering for LBLs.